1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to box wrenches and, more particularly, a box wrench which has multi-socket capabilities. Thus, the present invention involves a single tool which may hold four, six, eight or even more different sizes and which may be an open or closed socket wrench.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Metal wrenches have been around for more than 100 years and various configurations have been developed involving the use of multiple socket or multiple size wrenches. The following is representative of the prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,860, issued to Robert Bennett describes a handyman's wrench which involves a series of wrench inserts with socket openings stored in the wrench handle and part of the handle pivots so as to be rotatable whereby the stored socket openings are interchangeable to allow a user to select a desired socket size.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,901 issued to Gonsett et al describes a compound wrench and screw driver which includes a plurality of wrench socket sizes with slidable smaller sockets within larger sockets to permit multiple size usage at opposite ends of an elongated main member.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,930,238 issued to Arthur Heller describes a multiple socket wrench which has sockets located on various sides of a cube-like structure with the structure rotatable to present different socket sizes for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,796,083 issued to August Carlberg likewise describes a wrench having a plurality of sockets located on a rotatable structure on opposite ends of a main body.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,976 issued to Warren Bellows shows multiple size wrench arrangements utilizing rotatable structures having various socket sizes thereon.
Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,571,148 and 1,410,032 describe rotating socket members which offer various sizes and which are attached to ends of elongated handles.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 1,494,513 issued to James Stewart et al describes a wrench with multiple sockets which extends outwardly and sequentially to offer different sizes.
German Pat. No. 357,741 dated Dec. 20, 1920, provided in German by the Examiner of the parent case hereto, and British Pat. No. 409,566, accepted May 3, 1934, both illustrate wrench tools having a main body and wheels which contain four or five wrench sizes on each end. The German patent shows open end wrenches and the British Patent shows closed sockets. Neither of these illustrate dual socket-containing units, much less the specific wrench units and arrangements set forth and claimed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,379 to Gramera et al. describes double-ended, hollow core socket wrenches, tooled for either an English or metric size nut and bolt engaging means in one socket cavity and tooled for either the closest English or closest metric equivalent size nut and bolt engaging means in the opposite socket cavity, are designed to engage and turn hexagonal nuts on protruding bolt studs. The first type of double-ended socket has an axially central external hexagonal surface drive engaging portion, raised from its' substantially cylindrical shell portion, so that it can be driven externally with a single-ended socket wrench drive member, while the second type of double-ended socket, designed with the same outer drive mechanism described for the first type, has in addition, an internal axially central square drive well engaging portion, accessible from either open socket end, by a conventional extension drive rod member. Whereas, the first type of double-ended socket is designed to engage smaller sizes of nuts and bolts, the second type of double-ended socket is designed to engage larger sizes of nuts and bolts. A combination of both types of double-ended socket wrenches, provides a complete set of hand tools that will engage a full range of small and large English and metric size fittings of regular depth hexagonal nuts and bolts and deep well hexagonal nuts on protruding bolt studs.
Notwithstanding the above cited prior art, no patent teaches or renders obvious the present invention multi-socket wrench utilizing a plurality of wrench units which rotate about a central vertical axis with each such wrench unit having two sockets thereon, and wherein each of the sockets have a central axis substantially parallel to the vertical central axis, and with the vertical central axis being at about right angles to the elongated dimension of the elongated main member of the wrench.